


A Shoulder to Cry On // Teenage Shenanigans

by mastersilurian



Series: College AU [1]
Category: Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, Thomas the Tank Engine - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Consensual Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Fluffy Ending, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gay Sex, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Yaoi, humanised characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-31 00:44:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6448711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mastersilurian/pseuds/mastersilurian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Part I - TEEN AND UP AUDIENCES] A relaxing afternoon turns into an afternoon of confession and comfort.</p>
<p>[Part II - MATURE] Edward has the flat to himself for the afternoon, but what he needs isn't available... until it (finally) knocks on his bedroom window in the form of his boyfriend.</p>
<p>[Humanised 'Thomas and Friends'. Set in the Henry/Edward College AU I'm re-writing from years ago. Yaoi.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Shoulder to Cry On // Teenage Shenanigans

It was a quiet afternoon, and the apartment lay still. No one moved a muscle, no one shouted from one room to another, and the feeling this lack of activity brought on relaxed the two occupants of the apartment immensely.

Edward Pettigrew heaved a heavy sigh, smiling and folding his arms behind his head as he lay back on his bed. His hair was naturally tousled that day, Edward having no need to get up and style it, and his favourite blue sweater billowed out at the right places to act like a nice, snuggly blanket. His phone lay, almost silent, on his bedside table, and the cable for his headphones trailed to the discarded headwear on his first and most tatty emoji pillow. His headphones were blasting out _No Worries_ , by McFly, and his sock-clad feet twitched and moved along to the beat. His slim fit dark blue jeans had barely a wrinkle in them, until they gathered at his ankles.

The weather that day was uncommonly gorgeous, for early springtime in Britain, and Edward relished in this by having the windows wide open, allowing the fresh breeze into his room. His curtains swayed gently as the breeze caught them. He settled down, removed his glasses from his face, and closed his eyes, preparing to snooze for at least an hour.

Just as he was getting more comfortable, there was a delicate, but firm, knock on his bedroom door. Holding back a groan of disappointment – no sweet daydreams for him, then – Edward called out quietly, “Come in, James.”

The door opened just a fraction as Edward cracked open one eye, and gazed blearily at his adopted younger brother – he was practically blind without his glasses. James’ hazy shape peered around the door, his fair hair gelled to perfection and his clothes immaculate. Edward raised an eyebrow at him, but his lips quirked into a small smile. “What is it?”

James grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. “Sorry. Did I disturb you?”

Edward chuckled softly. “No. I was just about to drift off, but I’m guessing you need something?”

James looked away, rolling his eyes playfully. Why was it that Edward could always read him like he was a book? He glanced back at his brother, and said, “I’m going into Knapford, to meet up with a… a _friend_ , and I was just wondering if I could borrow your key to get out.”

Edward raised his other eyebrow in surprise at the request. “Well, where’s yours?”

James flushed red with embarrassment. “Er… I left it at Emily’s last night.”

Who James was meeting up with suddenly dawned on him, and he smirked. “And, uh… how is Emily?” He gave James a sly look. “Told her about your feelings for her yet?”

James whined, “Ed- _ward_!” But his older brother was already laughing at his embarrassment. He huffed, and folded his arms across his chest. “ _No_ , I haven’t. And I’m not going to, either. Besides,” he added, earning him a disbelieving look, “it’d never work out between us. I mean, look at us! She’s smart, and funny, and compassionate, and she understands people, even if she can be a bit of a hothead sometimes. And I’m–”

“A mature and responsible little twerp of a younger brother?” Edward butted in, and James flipped the bird at him. He gave the young musician a mock glare. “Rude.” James snorted, and Edward smiled widely. “Well, you know I’m going to beg to differ on the subject. I think you two would make a great couple.”

“Like you and Henry?”

Edward was set to reply with an immediate, “Yes, of course,” but then realised what it was that James had said, and paused. He levelled a puzzled look at his younger brother, and asked quietly, “What did you just say?”

James looked like he knew he had stepped on a nerve, something that bugged Edward, and winced. “I– I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he whispered, stepping into Edward’s room and closing the door behind him. He sat down at Edward’s desk, and the older teen swung his long legs over the edge of his bed, sitting up and watching him with a critical gaze. “I just… I was about to come in and ask if Henry wanted to stay for dinner, since it was Chinese takeaway night, and I overheard you two talking. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I waited outside. Anyway, just as I was about to knock and ask, I heard…” James trailed off here, and shifted uncomfortably in Edward’s desk chair, before murmuring, “I heard you two kissing… and then Henry said, ‘I love you,’ you said it back to him…” He glanced up at Edward. “Why didn’t you tell me you two were – _are_ – dating?” he asked. “I’m not mad, just upset that you couldn’t confide in me.”

Edward was stumped. Why hadn’t he told his younger brother that he was in a relationship with one of the most beautiful men he had ever met? That he was finally happy and able to move on from the trauma of his earlier teenage years, able to move on from years of self-harm and substance abuse because he was afraid that his very-accepting family would kick him out for being gay? That Henry made him feel complete, and worth more than just a pitying look when people saw his forearms and the many self-induced scars they bore?

_Because you were afraid, you coward._

Edward swallowed, wincing, as though the action gave him physical pain, and he managed to whisper, “I… I…” His throat locked, and he felt tears prickling at the edges of his limited vision. He sniffled, wiped furiously at his eyes, and inhaled, then exhaled, deeply. “I was afraid,” he said lamely. He could hear how pathetic it sounded, but James just smiled encouragingly at him. “I don’t know why, but every time someone finds out that I’m gay I’m just terrified that they’re going to hate me for it. Now, it’s because I’m in a relationship with Henry, a man who could easily have anyone he wanted, but he chooses me?” His voice cracked slightly. James leaned over, and gently rested a hand on Edward’s shaking knee. The older teen exhaled shakily, grabbing his glasses and jamming them onto his face so that he could see.

“It’s not like it’s completely unjustified,” James agreed. “After all, primary school did a pretty good job of stamping the idea that anyone on the LGBT spectrum is normal into the ground. But,” he added, raising an eyebrow at Edward, “you’ve got to remember the trauma Henry went through before he and Tom moved here for college. He was the one who was kicked out of his home and attacked by his older brother because of his sexuality.” James could see that Edward was on the brink of breaking down sobbing, and so he moved onto his bed and wrapped an arm around his older brother’s shoulders. “Hey! Why would Henry leave you, anyway? I may not have known about your relationship for long, but even I’ve noticed that he adores you. I’d even go so far as to say that he’s in love with you! And,” he said, rubbing Edward’s shoulder firmly, “if it makes you feel any better, I promise not to tell anyone. Not until you’re ready. Okay?”

Edward sniffled again, wiping his eyes, and nodded, chuckling as James hugged him tightly. He hugged his brother back, and said quietly, “You’re the best little brother a guy could have, James.”

James cheekily replied with an, “I know I am,” and Edward ruffled his hair playfully. He laughed as James groaned and tried to fix the messy mop that was once his immaculately styled hair, and pushed the younger teen out of his room. “Go on, go! Meet up with Emily and have fun. I’ll be fine here on my own.”

James turned back to face him with a smile. “Will you at least have _someone_ come over and stay with you later? I’m probably going to go and stay at Gordon’s place tonight – he’s got his track race tomorrow, and I said I’d go and watch.” His emphasis on _someone_ made Edward smile widely.

“Yes,” he agreed. “I’ll call Henry in a bit and ask if he can pop by after work.” James nodded in satisfaction, and laughed as Edward started to push him through the apartment to the front door. “Now go! Get out of here and don’t let me see you until you’ve got your key back!”


End file.
